Leaking Pool Sends Suburban Students Home Early
PARK RIDGE, Ill. (STMW) - Students at northwest suburban high school were sent home early Wednesday due to flooding in a portion of the building.
About 12:45 p.m., Maine East High School students were dismissed for the day and all after-school activities and sporting events were canceled, according to the school. A boys swim meet was rescheduled as an "away" meet.
Dave Beery, spokesman for Maine Township School District 207 in Park Ridge, said the leak was caused when a piece of glass covering a light fixture below the surface of the pool broke, causing water to rush into the void and through a storage room behind it.
About a third of the swimming pool's water drained into the storage room, hallways and a locker room on the southeast end of the school, Beery said.
The decision was made to close school for the rest of the day due to the flood waters and the odor of pool chemicals in that part of the building, he said.
Custodial crews were able to vacuum up the excess water and the area will be cleaned and disinfected, he said.
There were still plans to conduct the College Planning Night for juniors and their parents at 6:30 p.m. and school will be session Thursday.
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